This week in the New Yorker magazine, Malcolm Gladwell writes an excellent piece about the similarities between dogfighting and football Offensive Play Included is a great audio slide show, in which Gladwell discusses the traumatic brain injuries suffered by football linemen and other ex-athletes, and the inherent dangers of contact sports. [continue reading…]
Brain Injury
Dr. Henry Marsh is one of England’s foremost brain surgeons, a pioneer in his field and respected throughout the world. Driven to help those who are least likely to receive the neurosurgery they need to survive, Marsh has been going to Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, for more than 17 years. Shot over three chaotic weeks in the winter of 2007, The English Surgeon follows Marsh and Ukrainian colleague, Dr. Igor Kurilets as they work endless hours in clinics full of desperately ill people. You can watch The English Surgeon online at PBS until October the 9th.
Source: PBS hat tip to Mind Hacks
I was a hockey mom. My son played for many years, trained hard – and for my penance took me along for the rocky ride. Working (as I do) in the profession where we treat on a regular basis clients who have sustained traumatic brain injury, I had cause on many occasions to despair at the irresponsible and flawed thinking behind the decisions of parents ( and coaches) who allowed children to return (in haste) to play the game after sustaining injury. The percieved pressure being, that chances would be lost if too much time was taken in recovery. It was with some insight  then, that I read the New York Times piece Sports Imperative: Protecting Young Brains.
You’ve probably heard it before, but the moment is right to hear it again: If young athletes want to preserve their brains after a head injury, however minor, the typical jock advice to suck it up and get back in the game is not only bad, it’s potentially life-threatening.
Now, before the playing season starts, is the time for baseline testing of athletes involved in sports where head hits are common. With pre-injury results in hand, coaches and doctors are far better able to determine whether a concussion has occurred and if and when the brain has recovered. link to continue reading
Source: New York Times
Impulsive behaviour, anger, mood swings, poor concentration, memory loss. A knock to the head that qualifies as a brain injury can transform your behaviour in unexpected ways. Confronting research suggests acquired or traumatic brain injuries – past and recent – are rife in prison populations, with little to no screening or targeted interventions in place.
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Source: All in The Mind
